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Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Chapter 14: The Paradox of Error

Chapter 14 concentrates on "the paradox" of mistakes and the difficulties associated with error. Of the many examples and narratives that Schulz presented in the chapter, what was most memorable to you? Why or how so?

7 comments:

Jacqueline C.
said...

What was most memorable to me in this chapter was that the text said that we should honor fallibility. It also said, "Error, it would seem, is always one step ahead of us"(Schulz 316). We as humans will always make mistakes, it is in our nature and can't be avoided. People should not be ashamed of fault, but accept it for what it is.

The most memorable, more like shocking, thing to me in this chapter was the medical error statistics. On page 300 it says that "between 690,000 and 748,000 patients are affected by medical errors in the US every year, and between 44,000 and 98,000 die from them." I understand doctors are human too and make mistakes, but that scares me. This book hasn't really discussed the bad side of error much. I almost forgot why we, as humans, hate error so much.

I too agree that the most memorable part of the chapter was when Schulz discussed what happens when medical errors occur. I had absolutely no idea that medical mistakes is the eight leading cause of death in the nation. I think that was a really big eye opener for me. Although mistakes do happen and sometimes they are good and people learn from them that is not always the case.

I think the most memorable examples she presented, was about the operation error with the patient. I found it memorable not only because it was very rare, but also because it brings up a type of error that is not easy to deny or shy away from. This example really demonstrates why it is important to accept a mistake as a mistake, then that way you can attempt to be more thorough in your work ethic.-Ashya F.

The part of the chapter I found most memorable was when the author discussed John Francis and his decision to not speak. He found that when you don't speak, you hear things you don't normally hear. I found this concept interesting.

the idea that stuck with me the most was the quote that states, "if you don't acknowledge that mistakes occurred, you''ll never eliminate the likelihood that they'll occur again." I found this quote to be memorable because a lot of people never acknowledge when they have done something wrong, and continue to make the same mistake over and over, and the issue will never be resolved. In order to better yourself or to ever be right then you must admit your wrong doing and find the cause and fix the problem.

The most memorable was when Schulz said, "If you want to try to eradicate error, you have to start by assuming that it is inevitable" (p.203). This was memorable for me because it sounds so simple, but is a lot more difficult than it sounds. Most people are afraid to admit that they are not perfect and will make mistakes, especially professionals who have reputations at stake. Though it is very difficult, Schulz explains why it needs to the first change.